Apparatus for draining underground strata



Nov. 2, 1965 TATSUO MORIMOTO APPARATUS FOR DRAINING UNDERGROUND STRATA 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1963 I INVENTOR 7217500 Moe/Moro WVM ATTORNEY} Nov. 2, 1965 'TATSUO MORIMOTQ 3,2 5,2 3

APPARATUS FOR DRAINING UNDERGROUND STRATA Filed May 21, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 23718. F'zlyr 20a.

I N VEN TOR 72 7500 MOE/M070 wwwvia/ ATTORNEY} TATSUO MORIMOTO 3,215,213 APPARATUS FOR DRAINING UNDERGROUND STRATA 7 Nov. 2, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 21, 1963 win ATTORNEY) United States Patent 3,215,213 APPARATUS FOR DRAINING UNDERGROUND STRATA Tatsuo Morimoto, 48 Omasucho, Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan Filed May 21, 1963, Ser. No. 281,866 3 Claims. (Cl. 175-314) This invention relates to an apparatus for vacuum drainage of deep underground strata.

An important object of this invention is the provision of such apparatus which employs a single riser pipeline of interconnected sections, instead of an outer and inner tubular assembly, a relatively slender pump within the pipeline, strainer means surrounding a portion of the riser pipeline, and means to create a strong vacuum within the pipeline, whereby liquids are drawn upwardly and discharged above ground as the wellpoint, at the lower end of the pipeline descends. This eliminates the use of bulky concentric pipelines, bulky pumps, the boring of relatively wide boreholes, and loss of vacuum where the point extends below 6 to 7 meters underground.

Another important object of the invention is to provide short tubular strainers being connected together and disposed so as to surround the riser pipe-assembly and form a longer strainer. This is easy by constructing the strainer of interconnected sections, whereby rapid ascent of water is attained.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more fully understood from the following description of two forms of the invention, shown by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of underground strata with an apparatus of the invention shown in elevation.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of the uppermost section of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 to 6 inclusive are horizontal sectional views substantially on the lines a-a, b-b, -6, and d-a respectively of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the lowermost sections of the apparatus of FIG. 1 but on an enlarged scale.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 are horizontal sectional views substantially on the lines e-e, f-f, and g-g respectively of .FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view showing the relationship between a riser pipe, a socket and a strainer of the invention.

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are horizontal sectional views substantially on the lines h-h, i-i and j-j of FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view substantially on the lines jof FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top plan view and partly in vertical section of a strainer of this invention.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a connector for the strainer and riser pipe of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 shows a vertical sectional view of the upper section of the apparatus above the riser pipe.

FIG. 19 is a view along the lines of FIG. 1 with the position of strainer shown thereon.

FIG 20A is an explanatory plan and sectional view showing conventional draining method.

FIG. 20B is an explanatory plan and sectional view showing draining method of this invention for the purpose of comparison with that of FIG. 20A.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modification of the apparatus of FIGS. 1-19 inclusive.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing essential parts of the apparatus of FIG. 21.

FIGS. 23, 24 and 25 are horizontal sectional views substantially on the lines k-k, i-i and m-m of FIG. 22.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view substantially on the line 11-11 of FIG. 25.

As shown in FIG. 1, a riser pipe 1 extends underground, from above ground to below the water level and surrounded by a suitable number of short tubes 2 of a strainer, each short tube being connected by connecting socket 3, whereby a long strainer is provided. The bottom portion of the lowermost short tube 2 is secured to a nozzle-containing point 4 as well as to the lowestmost part of the riser pipe 1.

The nozzle 4 is best shown in FIG. 7 and is provided with water jetting ports, 5, 5 and an air suction chamber 7 having a ball valve member 6 therein.

The top portion of the uppermost short tube 2" of the strainer is coupled to the riser pipe 1, as best shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, by two cap sections 8, 8', secured to the riser pipe as by screws 9, 9.

As shown in FIG. 7, a small pump B is disposed within the lowermost part of the pipe 1, and T-type coupling 14 (FIG. 2) having a branch tube 13 is connected to the upper end part of the riser pipe 1, the top of which pipe extends out of the ground, with the branch tube 13 being connected to the end of a flexible pipe 12 which is, in turn, connected to a header pipe 11 by means of a valve 10 (FIG. 1). Pump transmission apparatus, reciprocated by any conventional reciprocating means, such as a conventional vertical cable reciprocating welldrilling engine, is fixed to the upper end of the said coupling 14, pump B and transmission apparatus C being connected by a wire or similar means with the wire extending downwardly through the pipe 1. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of leaf springs 17 being fixed to the lower end of a cylinder 16 project downwardly inside the lowest end of the pipe 1 in the suction chamber of the nozzle 4 and the periphery of the cylinder 16 of the pump B slides over the inner periphery of the pipe 1. Along the lower portion of the cylinder 16 is a circular groove 19 with a gurn packing 18 therein. The upper end portion of cylinder 16 has an edge 20 curved inwardly, a valve flap 21 being swingingly supported in the lower portion of the cylinder 16, and a flap valve 22 being swingingly supported at the upper end of the cylinder 16, and both valves 21 and 22 are connected with an elongate elastic connecting member 23 such as of rubber,

Transmission apparatus C, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a piston stop flange 24, a water-supplying main tube 25" interposed in which is a conventional check valve 25', a cylinder 28 fitted with a shaft bearing 27 having an airtight packing 26 therein, a piston 30 having a watertight packing 29 therearound, a movable portion of a tubular downwardly-extending piston rod in the riser pipe 1 passing through the packing 26 and connected to the piston 30. The connecting member 15 (as a length of wire) extending downwardly and supporting the piston of the pump passes through small openings which extend through a hollow shaft 31 and the piston 30, is supported by a stop 36 at the concave central portion 35 of the upper part of the piston 30; and a cap with an air vent hole covers the upper end of the cylinder 28.

Each short tube 2 is composed of two semi-cylindrical portions (FIGS. 14 and 15) providing inwardly-projecting lugs of the walls 37 hearing against the riser pipe 1, and on the outside surface of the walls, there is provided central frames 40A and 40B forming semi-circular members having a plurality of vertical slots 38 and water-flow holes 39, screening 41A, 41B being woven into the central frame preventing the screening from detachment. Vertical corrugations 42 having water suction holes 43 in the outer covers 44A, 44B cover the semi-cylindrical portions above their upper end.

To begin operations of the apparatus of this invention: first, the nozzle 4 being screwed up to the lower end of the riser pipe 1, a pair of short tubes of the strainer, with center frames 40A, 40B, nets 41A, 41B and outer covers 44A, 44B, are covered to embrace the same from outer side of the riser pipe 1 respectively, and inserted in the air suction chamber on the upper end of the nozzle. Short tubes 2 and associated sockets 3 are assembled and connected by means of the sockets, the strainer A of a desired length, is completed and, finally, after a pair of caps 8, 8 are fixed to the top portion of the short tubes of the strainer, the same is fastened with screws 9, '9'.

The apparatus thus constructed, as shown in FIG. 1, is disposed underground, T-type coupling, as shown in FIG. 18, is connected to the upper end of the riser pipe 1, and the open upper mouth of the coupling is closed with screw plug 45, the branch tube 13 is connected to the header pipe 11 by means of the flexible tube 12, and water under pressure is forced from the top of the riser pipe through the header pipe.

Deeper insertion of the point 4 in the ground is carried out by jetting pressure water, passing through the riser pipe and jetting out of the water holes 5, 5' of the lower end of the point 4. After completion of operations to the depth desired (as shown in FIG. 1) filter sand 46 is filled in the space between the outer surface of the riser pipe 1 and the soil of the strata therearound, clay seal 46 (upper portion FIG. 1) is filled in order to exclude the atmosphere and, by the operation of conventional vacuum apparatus on the ground connected thereto through header pipe (not illustrated) suction takes place at the wellpoint and inwardly therefrom. At first as water level underground is high, drainage is preferably carried out by the use of a conventional wellpoint. After the drainage advances until water level underground around wellpoint reaches 6-7 M below (shown by W1 in FIG. 1) it is now impossible for the conventional wellpoint to operate successfully since there is a state of balanced water level. In spite of continuing the operation under such circumstances, drainage and progress of vacuum operation cannot be expected. In such condition, the valve 10 is closed, the screw plug 45 on the upper part of T-type coupling is taken off, the pump, is supported from the connecting member 15, is manipulated as by pushing down on or lowering the same, until the spring 17 of the pump engages the lower end of the riser pipe 1, whereby the connecting member is freed from the pump. Since transmission apparatus C is connected to the T-type coupling 14, the movable valve 22 of pump B is elevated to the near portion of edge 20 and, after the valve 25 is opened, the end of the connecting member is cut off to proper length, and the concave central portion 35 is filled with melted lead. A cap 33 is set on the upper portion of the cylinder 28. Under vacuum, after air valve 10 is opened, reciprocation of the pump taking place, water pressure descends. Piston 30 comes down to the position of hp shown in FIG. 2 and, simultaneously, the valve 22 in the lower portion of the riser pipe, as shown in FIG. 7, is also drawn down by means of the connecting member 23. The valve 21 being closed by the water pressure, the confined water gathers above the upper portion of the movable valve 22. By repeating such reciprocation, high-head drainage over theoretical head 10.3 M can be carried out by thus causing activation of valves 22 and 21. There remaining a little water to drain, vacuum power increases materially at the lower end of the strainer. There remaining no water at all, only the suction operation will continue, by closing water stop valve and stopping pumping operation. In case it is necessary that the pump B must be removed, the valves 10 and 25' being closed, transmission apparatus C being disconnected, the connecting member 15 being lifted up, and the movable valve 22 positioned up against the edge of cylinder 16, by pulling up the connecting member 15, the spring 17 for fixing at the end of the cylinder 16 moves inward and the pump B may be lifted up.

During the operation of vacuum drainage above mentioned, underground water and air in each strata gather near each part of the strainer A directly through sand filter 46 in a horizontal direction, descending rapidly along the space between the strainer A and the riser pipe 1, and is conveyed out on the ground through air suction chamber in the nozzle 4.

As one modification of the above-mentioned strainer and socket structures that shown in FIG. 21 to FIG. 26 may be employed. Short sections of strainer may be composed of cylinders, semi-cylindrical in horizontal section divided vertically into two parts to form a cylinder. The structure of this cylinder includes center frames 50s, 50s having corrugations on both sides forming convolutions 47 and being provided with small holes 48 and lugs 49 (in order to increase the vertical strength, on both sides) are bent inwardly surrounding a pair of semi-circular screen cylinders 51s, 51s, while covering the outside thereof are outer corrugated covers 54s, 54s crimped together at their sides, and having holes therearound for water, as well as in the case of the center frames 40A, 40B. Bent side ends of the above three layers, that is, the center frames 50s, 50s, the screening cylinders 51s, 51s and the outer corrugated cover 54s, 54s are connected together with channel-shaped seal T which is made of resilient thin steel plate. Without making cor r-ugations and small holes in the upper and lower ends of the center frames 50s, 50s and outer covers 54s, 54s, these ends are made plain, and H-type socket (in vertical section) 56 is constructed by welding together two ring members 55, 55 facing in opposite directions, these members being crimped U-shape in section, as at 57, to correspond to the section of the strainer using steel plate or the like. By connecting the plane portion on both ends of each strainer, with a short tube engaging inside of upper and lower slots, the assembly is completed.

FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate diagrammatically the conventional method (as in FIG. 20A) for draining in connection with the walls of a building Z. Therein three conventional apparatus WP WP and WP are shown. Each drains portions of the strata I, II, III and IV and, of course, require excavating below ground level in order to position the apparatus designated as WP and WP (and subsequently remove them) three bores, three plugs and three settings, removal of the apparatus and two fills. FIG. 20B shows the apparatus of this invention in use, requiring one bore, one plug, and one setting and removal of the apparatus.

Various changes may be made to the forms of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of claims. Moreover, the features of the embodiments shown in the drawings are mutually interchangeable insofar as they are comfortable.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for vacuum drainage of underground strata, said apparatus including a riser conduit having an uppermost end portion and a lowermost end portion; drainage intake means connected to said riser conduit at said lowermost end portion; pump means within said riser conduit above the drainage intake at said lowermost end portion, including a valved reciprocating member; an elongate member extending downwardly from said uppermost end portion to and secured to the upper end of said reciprocating member; reciprocating means for reciprocating said elongate member and disposed at said uppermost end portion; a hollow joint secured to said lowermost end portion and having jetting ports opening exteriorly thereof and check valve means for preventing flow of drainage from said ports to said pump means; a screen enclosing and carried by said riser conduit and in communication with said pump above said check valve and at said drainage intake means, said screen extending from said drainage intake means upwardly about said riser conduit and provided with closure and attaching 5 means for detachably securing it to said riser conduit spaced above said drainage intake means; said screen having semi-cylindrical corrugated walls having inwardly-extending crimped longitudinal edge portions and means joining said walls at said crimped portions; said crimped portions providing lugs to space said semi-cylindrical walls from said riser conduit.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that some of said corrugations which extend inwardly are longer than the others of the inwardly-extending corrugations and provide lugs, whereby the lugs additionally space said walls from said riser conduit.

3. Apparatus for vacuum drainage of underground strata, said apparatus including a riser conduit having an uppermost end portion and a lowermost end portion; drainage intake means connected to said riser conduit at said lowermost end portion; pump means within said riser conduit above the drainage intake at said lowermost end portion, including a valved reciprocating member; an elongate member extending downwardly from said uppermost end portion to and secured to the upper end of said reciprocating member; reciprocating means for reciprocating said elongate member and disposed at said uppermost end portion; a hollow point secured to said lowermost end portion and having jetting ports opening exteriorly thereof and check valve means for preventing flow of drainage from said ports to said pump means; a screen enclosing and carried by said riser conduit and in communication with said pump above said check valve and at said drainage intake means, said screen extending from said drainage intake means upwardly about said riser conduit and provided with closure and attaching means for detachably securing it to said riser conduit spaced above said drainage intake means; said screen being provided with semi-cylindrical walls having inwardly extending longitudinal edge portions and means connecting the inwardly-extending edge portions of one wall to another wall, said inwardly-extending edge portions providing lugs to space said walls from said riser conduit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,487 4/89 Roach 103-179 1,569,098 1/26 Mark 166-230 1,688,356 10/28 Romney 175-314 1,699,726 1/29 Warmuth 103-179 2,035,313 3/36 Grifiin 166-230 2,079,996 4/37 Humason 103-179 2,126,575 8/38 Ranney 175-314 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,831 5/33 Germany.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR VACUUM DRAINAGE OF UNDERGROUND STRATA, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING A RISE CONDUIT HAVING AN UPPERMOST END PORTION AND A LOWERMOST END PORTION; DRAINAGE INTAKE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID RISER CONDUIT AT SAID LOWERMOST END PORTION; PUMP MEANS WITHIN SAID RISER CONDUIT ABOVE THE DRAINAGE INTAKE AT SAID LOWERMOST END PORTION, INCLUDING A VALVED RECIPROCATING MEMBER; AN ELONGATE MEMBER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID UPPERMOST END PORTION TO AND SECURED TO THE UPPER SAID OF SAID RECIPROCATING MEMBER; RECIPROCATING MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID ELONGATE MEMBER AND DISPOSED AT SAID UPPERMOST END PORTION; A HOLLOW JOINT SECURED TO SAID LOWERMOST END PORTION AND HAVING JETTING PORTS OPENING EXTERIORLY THEREOF AND CHECK VALVE MEANS FOR PREVENTING FLOW OF DRIANAGE FROM SAID PORTS TO SAID PUMP MEANS; A SCREEN ENCLOSING AND CARRIED BY SAID RISER CONDUIT AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PUMP ABOVE SAID CHECK VALVE AND AT LEAST DRAINAGE INTAKE MEANS, SAID SCREEN EXTENDING FROM SAID DRIANAGE INTAKE MEANS UPWARDLY ABOUT SAID RISER CONDUIT AND PROVIDED WITH CLOSURE AND ATTACHING MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING IT TO SAID RISER CONDUIT SPACED ABOVE SAID DRAINAGE INTAKE MEANS; SAID SCREEN HAVING SEMI-CYLINDRICAL CORRUGATED WALLS HAVING INWARDLY-EXTENDING CRIMPED LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS AND MEANS JOINING SAID WALLS AT SAID CRIMPED PORTIONS; SAID CRIMPED PORTIONS PROVIDING LUGS TO SAPCE SIAD SEMI-CYLINDRICAL WALLS FROM SAID RISER CONDUIT. 